FAQ: How Does Relative Humidity Affect the Performance of an ESD floor?
Dry air resists the flow of electricity. That’s why more static is generated when the climate is dry. Because static can’t move through dry air, static tends to stay on surfaces when the air is dry. As water is conductive, humidity promotes the flow of electricity. By pulling moisture from the air, some ESD floors may appear to perform better when the humidity is over 40 percent. This is quite normal with carpet. Dry air can do the opposite.
All ESD floors should be conditioned and tested at least as low as 12 percent relative humidity. Unless the floor is loaded with carbon fibers, most floors will fail ANSI/ESD walking and resistive property tests below 20 percent RH.
Dry air resists the flow of electricity. That’s why more static is generated when the climate is dry. Because static can’t move through dry air, static tends to stay on surfaces when the air is dry. As water is conductive, humidity promotes the flow of electricity. By pulling moisture from the air, some ESD floors may appear to perform better when the humidity is over 40 percent. This is quite normal with carpet. Dry air can will do the opposite.
All ESD floors should be conditioned and tested at least as low as 12 percent relative humidity. Unless the floor is loaded with carbon fibers, most floors will fail ANSI/ESD walking and resistive property tests below 20 percent RH.
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- 7 Common Mistakes Selecting an ESD floor
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- Avoid Costly Failures: What You Need to Know When Specifying ESD Flooring
- Choosing ESD Flooring for:
- ESD Footwear: What Is It and When Is It Necessary?
- ESD Footwear for Electronics Manufacturing and Handling Applications
- Facility Managers’ Guide to Selecting ESD Flooring
- The Need for Due Diligence in Specifying Static-Free Flooring
- Standard of Care for Specifying Floors in Mission-Critical Spaces
- Understanding the Hidden Costs of ESD Flooring
- The Case Against Overly Conductive Flooring
- Conductive vs Dissipative
- Electrical Resistance
- Electrical Resistance in Mission-Critical Spaces
- Ensuring Accuracy: Why It’s Critical to Clean Floors and Probes Before ESD Testing
- ESD Standards and Test Methods
- Resistance, Resistivity, and Real World Application
- Walking Body Voltage
Why It’s Critical to Clean Floors and Probes Before ESD Testing
StaticWorx high-performance static-control floors protect electronic components, explosives, and high-speed computers from damage caused by static electricity. ESD flooring is part of a system. Choices should always be based on objective, researched evidence. When you partner with us, we look at all possible items that may need to integrate with the floor, and, focusing on your goals and objectives, help you find the right floor for your application.
